The Committee mailed about 40 pounds of batteries for recycling in July. St Paul’s is increasing the amount of battery recycling. This is good and bad news.
The good news is that we are recycling more batteries. More people are getting the message about recycling. The Committee hopes that the little battery reminds you of other ways in your life to reduce, reuse, and recycle.
The bad news is that we are recycling more batteries. Recall the first two words in the recycling slogan – reduce, reuse, and recycle. Are you reducing your use of batteries? Are you reusing batteries by recharging them? We pay about $1/lb for recycling. It is an environmental tithe. We pay now to keep battery components out of the environment, or pay later when they cause pollution or health problems.
The metals in rechargeable batteries is so valuable that dealers willingly recycle them and have drop-off containers (Radio Shack, Lowes, etc), thus saving the Natural Cathedral Committee time and money

Father Ryan will be offering training on Wednesday, September 8th, for anyone interested in being an acolyte, server, or reader for our Sunday liturgy. These are important jobs in our Sunday worship, and we need a few new folks to help. Father Ryan will explain why we do things in the liturgy; so, even if you have been trained in the past and do not understand why we do the things we do in the liturgy, please feel free to come and learn.

Beginning on Sunday, September 12, St. Paul’s would like to begin providing child care during Sunday services. To do so however, we will need your help. Please considering volunteering to work one Sunday a month (or perhaps once every two months if we have enough volunteers) to provide this service. As mentioned in the August newsletter, the Diocese now has a policy that anyone who works with children needs to first agree to a security screening. According to Fr. Hussey, this can be accomplished by having volunteers fill out a standard employment application form, checking the references listed on this form, and then checking the applicant’s name against the National Sex Offenders Registry. If you can help with this service, please contact Lynnette Taylor for an employment form.

We all know about the record setting rains in Brookings, and some water from those July gully-washers wet the carpet at the east end of the basement. The water probably came in somehow through the old stairwell that was filled in (we thought). Thanks to the Kratochvils for cleanup and landscaping for runoff, and to the Berrys for the new gutter and downspouts. Hope this stops the leaks. The good news is that the perennial wet floor in the Sexton’s closet and at the base of the stairs seems to have been fixed by installing drain pipe under the floor near the foundation.

Bob Lacher will speak briefly, much to the delight of the audience.

10 Rob and Erin Dinsmore
15 Arnie and Cynthia Appelt
H. Bonnemann and D.Christiansen
16 Jennifer (Appelt) Hart
17 Cara Sterbis
20 Bob and Jean Lacher
Lucas Hovelson
25 Adam and Bethany Hovelson
27 Lucille Boyd
31 Bill Gibbons
Louis and Elizabeth Williams

(by Chuck Berry)
I was not expecting to hear the name St Paul’s Episcopal Church at the family reunion in Maryland – but I did. Here’s the story.

For about 60 years the Barnes family has been having family reunions and for about 60 years I have had to line up with my brothers and cousins (8 total) for a picture. For the first 20 years the aunts and uncles had to force us kids into what we call “the line up” for picture taking, but for the last 40 years we have accepted the fate and just line up when called. In front of me in the lineup is Cousin Linda who has always been older and taller than me.

Linda said that she goes to St Paul’s; I said that I did also. She said that she contributes to the newsletter; I said that I did also. She said “Send me a copy.” So, long story short, we’ll be swapping newsletters with another St Paul’s for a while.

They’ve got historical stuff back East – it’s everywhere, and Linda’s St Paul’s parish is no exception being organized in 1750. The church (photo) was built in 1883 (Our St Paul’s was built to 1918). However, both churches are about the same size. Check out their website (http://www.stpauls-poplarsprings.ang-md.org/) to see what another St Paul’s is doing.

You’ll see Cousin Linda Barnes’ name mentioned in the newsletter – she’s the Bazaar organizer. I always thought that she was “bizarre” – that’s why I didn’t want to quit the baseball game at the old family reunions just to squeeze a little closer to a girl cousin in “the lineup.”

The photo shows Stephanie Lacher (left) and Ali Anderson explaining their foreign travels at the after-church social. Stephanie has been teaching in Morocco for 2 years. Ali toured Europe with a summer study group of students.

A compilation of the history notes that appeared in the monthly Messenger newsletter is for sale. The 38-page booklet has large font and one topic per page and color pictures on most pages. The compilation history is arranged in three categories: 1) buildings and furnishings, 2) clergy and parishioners, and 3) out-of-doors.

The purpose of the booklet is to help newcomers connect and help current parishioners obtain a richer experience. The booklet is for sale for $10 (spendy because of the color copying costs). Copies are displayed in Charlie’s Porch; Fr. Hall will collect money. All proceeds go to printing additional copies until demand is assuaged. The first printing of 12 copies “went like hotcakes.” Naomi Gilkerson bought one of the first copies and said that she thought it was “Just swell.” Andy Trump edited the booklet and wrote “Overall a great history. The images (old and new) really brought St Paul’s alive.”

Out-of- towners can purchase a copy from the Messenger newsletter editors (The Berrys, 202 5th St., Brookings, 57006) for $15, which covers shipping and handling.

The 126th Annual Diocesan Convention registration and agenda were printed in your July/August Church News, the bimonthly newspaper from the Diocese. St Paul’s delegates Mary Lou and Chuck Berry have registered and will be in Pierre on September 10-11. The theme is Partnering With God: Practicing Lifelong Faith Formation. Bishop Tarrant says that he is continuing this theme that the Diocese adapted three years ago. What does this mean?

Tarrant gets the theme from Paul’s writings to the Corinthians as he was encouraging the development of Christianity in the cities and towns in the first years. Paul wrote, “As God’s partners we beg you not to toss aside this marvelous message of God’s great kindness.” (2 Cor. 6:1). The focus of this year’s convention is lifelong faith formation. Tarrant says that “when someone is baptized, they are not “done,” but are placed on a road of a lifelong relationship. Baptism is an initial rite, the marking of the beginning of the faith journey.

The Convention program focuses on education resources to help youth and adults in their faith formation. We’ll hear about youth programming, church school materials, and resources for adult education. Youth attendees are getting special attention with a rock band Saturday night and a sleep over at the Trinity church. And, there will be less attention to legislation and administration and more attention to providing instruments for ministry and deepening relationships.

Opening reception on Friday at 5 – 7, Plenary Session at 7, and then workshops and business of the Diocese through Saturday. So St Paul’s Brookings Parishioners, beware that we may come back from Convention with some new ideas – and don’t say “but we’ve never done it that way before.”

Other Diocese news:
 South Dakota contributed $10,000 to United Thank Offering (St Paul’s Brookings contributed $572); UTO funded about $2 million worldwide; 2 grants in South Dakota to St John Pukwana ($30,000 for capital improvements) and $13,000 for a water well at the Sudan project (see project update on pages 4-5 of J/A Church News.
 TV Productions (our own Jay and Ginger’s company) assisted the Diocese with a DVD training series for youth ministry; free from the Diocese office or soon on Diocese web site.
 Thunderhead camp registrations doubled this year.
 Motorcycle Episcopalians camp at Thunderhead (TEC) August 9-15 during the Sturgis Rally
 Deanery meeting at St Paul’s August 15, Sunday at 4 pm
 Barbee Hovelson is on the Diocesan Commission on Ministry; they report activities on page 15-16 of J/A Church News.
 Miles of Pennies (our penny jar) is the part of the Church Periodical Club; $129 income last year for children’s books.
 All South Dakota Episcopal churches involved in ecumenical relations (activities in the community with other congregations, ministerial associations,, social justice ministries (e.g., food pantry, meals on wheels, thrift stores)
 Diocese partners with White Bison, Inc. a nonprofit that sponsors Wellbriety Movement (www.whitebison.org); part of Diocese tribal program.